Day of the Dead Live Karaoke Costume Party

Rolling off of the success of last year’s event, it’s time for the Second Annual Live Rock N’ Roll Karaoke Costume Party: Day of the Dead Edition presented by Haitian Families First.

Haitian Families First was co-founded by sisters Jamie and Ali McMutrie who moved to Haiti in the 2000s to help care for children in orphanages and find homes for them overseas. Following the earthquake, the sisters founded HFF to help struggling families stay together, recognizing that families often make the heartbreaking decision to surrender their children to orphanages because dire poverty makes it impossible to care for them.

The non-profit organization helps Haitian children receive nutrition, including formula for babies, access to education and life-sustaining medical care. HFF also helps parents find employment to better provide for their families. Their organization has been widely recognized for their work, including winning the prestigious MedAssets 2012 Norman Borlaug Humanitarian Award.

“Last year’s party was a huge success,” says Ali, “A really unique mix of karaoke with a live rock ‘n’ roll band, crazy costumes, and some unforgettable performances by local celebrities. We actually had to turn people away at the door, so we’re excited to be at a larger venue this year.”

Randy Baumann of the DVE Morning Show returns as emcee of the event. Guests will have the opportunity to sign up to sing karaoke with a live band. Slots are available on a first come first-served basis. Want to jump the line and secure your spot? Right on. A $25 donation gets you next in line. Winner of the competition receives a gift basket from ScareHouse.

In addition, Mikey & Big Bob of the 96.1 Morning Freak Show, Bill Peduto, Pittsburgh’s Democratic Mayoral Candidate, and Sally Wiggin of WTAE will be competing against one another for the chance to sing with the band during the celebrity karaoke competition.

Want to see your favorite win? You have a voice! Whichever contender receives the most donation dollars by 11:30PM will be chosen (or, maybe a better word is forced) to sing a song of HFF’s choosing. Donate online to vote. To indicate who you wish to see sing, note their name where it says ‘Add a Message Here.’ For each dollar donated, participants receive a vote. Their performance will be recorded and posted on the HFF YouTube page the day after the event.

Also, HFF will be giving away a collection of restaurant gift cards (over a $1,000 value), and a pair of tickets to a Pens game in their raffle! Handcrafted Haitian jewelry will be on sale to purchase, as well. All proceeds from the event benefit HFF.

Tickets for the event are available online! Come out to the Rex Theater on November 1st and support this Pittsburgh non-profit organization in their continued efforts to better the lives of Haitian families.